Many years ago I belonged to one or two amateur dramatic groups and I had great fun. It's a huge commitment, particularly in the run up to performance, but the buzz of being on stage, the nerves, the mishaps, the applause. Not so easy now to mix family life and the amateur stage, unless everyone is involved and willing to regularly attend rehearsals and help with all the ancillary tasks; set building, costumes, props, and box office.
There isn't another hobby quite like it, certainly one that generates as many funny stories of things going wrong. I can remember a play where we had to get a car on stage; a farce that was so complicated we had all our moves pinned up backstage so we could remember the next door to enter from; various pantomimes with so much being made up as we went along; and a production of Dracula that was just so much fun. At one time I had three productions on the go at one time, with three different groups, and I was rehearsing something nearly every night. I don't think my stamina or memory would cope these days, but a lot of happy memories to look back on.
Q: How many actors does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: One, but what's my motivation, Darling? Am I drawn to it out of pity or guilt or remorse. Do you want pathos with the removal of the dead bulb. I do pathos very well. When I deliver my line, "The bulb's gone." do you want me in the armchair at that point, or standing just under it?
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